The driving centres you're most (and least) likely to pass

FOR many learner drivers taking a driving test can be fraught with nerves and the misguided hope examiners will go easy.

But those who take their test in regional Queensland need not fret. It's the best place to go if you want to pass your test with 100 per cent of drivers scraping a successful grade at Barcaldine, Winton and Blackall.

An analysis of pass rates supplied to The Courier Mail by the Department of Main Roads and Transport revealed the average pass rate for drivers around the state sat at about 61 per cent in the year from January 4, 2016 to December 30, 2016.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE PASS RATES FOR EACH CENTRE

But that rate climbs significantly higher in regional areas where it hovers around 73 per cent.

Drivers in the south-east of the state did it a bit tougher with Toowong and Rosalie tying for the lowest pass rate of all south-east centres at 53 per cent.

The results are unlikely to come as a surprise to many new drivers, with some taking to Reddit to slam how tough the tests are in inner-city centres.

Sherwood is considered one of the toughest with a pedestrian crossing, school zone and railway crossing within 1km of the testing centre.

Redditors also said Rosalie is harsh on drivers with steep hill starts, highway merges and school zones near the centre.

Drivers comment on Reddit about their driving test.

But TMR denied some centres were easier on prospective drivers than others and insisted that each area grades the same.

"Pass and fail rates depend on the skill levels and driving experience of the people who sit the tests," a department spokesman said.

"Our examiners ensure all tests are conducted in line with current policies and procedures."

A further look at the data shows that even though the road from L Plates to P Plates was made more challenging after June 2015, when the State Government introduced sweeping changes to the test standards in an effort to prevent more youth drivers from dying on Queensland roads, pass rates remained unchanged at 61 per cent across the state.

Drivers comment on Reddit about their driving test.

Comparing the data with the six months before Q-Safe was introduced with the six months following, 26 of the 65 driving test centres pass rates actually increased, while six remained unchanged and a further 33 declined.

The new Q-Safe system grades drivers more on merging lanes at higher speeds and safely turning across oncoming traffic. It also has a zero tolerance for speeding.

The Newman government started the ball rolling in 2014 when they also introduced a pilot program for tough testing system which led to a 15 per cent increase in the fail rate following the changes.